Financial adviser Mike Magee explained Waste Management's proposed rate hike. Magee says the hike would help it with rising operating expenses. The average residential customer pays about 15 dollars a month now. The rate hike would increase that to about 17 dollars.

Waste Management says the proposal could also save customers money, by giving them the option of signing up for usage sensitive billing. Homes that only produce one bag of trash a week, would only pay $12 a month.

The Public Service Commission will be making a decision about the increase sometime in the next few months.